Gaishi Hiraiwa, former chairman of the defunct Japan Federation of Economic Organizations (Keidanren), a precursor to the Japan Business Federation, died Tuesday of heart failure, Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials said. He was 92.
The Aichi Prefecture native joined Tokyo Electric Light Co., the predecessor of Tepco, after graduating from the law department at Tokyo Imperial University, now the University of Tokyo.
Hiraiwa was president, chairman and adviser at the largest domestic electric power company, and served as chairman of the nation's largest business lobby — now Nippon Keidanren — from 1990 to 1994.
Hiraiwa is credited with ending the business lobby's practice of soliciting donations from its members for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Keidanren ended its group donations in 1993.
He also headed a number of panels advising the government on policies that included the economy and transportation and was an adviser to the Imperial Household Agency.
